Yopping Update #41 - Third time is a charm

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Remember this?

Well I turned the heel and did the short row toe... and then all hell broke loose!  It was a test knit, but I could not for the life of me figure out what the designer wanted or how to get the stitch count to work as I started up the front of the foot.  I puzzled and puzzled and looked at other test knitters' notes and then I did the only sensible thing - I frogged it right back to the cuff.  I did like the cuff as it was done with a cool provisional cast on that you then take out once the cuff is finished.  My friend sent me a different test knit and I thought I could use the cuff I had and continue on with the mosaic pattern.  I don't know - it just wasn't speaking to me so I ripped out the provisional cuff and started a basic 1x1 ribbed cuff.  After finishing the cuff it went into time out because I really liked how the two colours were working in the now frogged sock and I didn't think the mosaic was going to show it the same way.  FitznStarts had a design that was made with knit and purls but if I did it stranded I think my colours will show.    So, I ripped out the cuff and started over yet again last night.  The pattern suggested the Chinese Waitress cast-on which I have never done before so I took on the challenge.  I like the look of the cast-on and it is very stretchy so today I will start the stranded work. 

Most of the week I was working on the wee gansey.  It has shoulder flaps, which I had never done before and it took me a while to wrap my head around the instructions.  It is on the blocking mat and then I have to find some snaps for the flaps.  I'll keep you posted.  (also when I washed this it smells like a wet sheep!)

I have been doing my five rows a day on the Lento Cowl.  This week there were some cool new stitches to learn.  The leaf stitch and the star stitch.  

Last 8 days or so worth of work

Leaf stitch

Star Stitch

Other than my crafting I have been duck watching a couple of days at the pond and I saw two fledging baby hummingbirds in the nest.  I took a video but it is quite blurry.  Still I am happy I got to see them.  I have been back to the nest twice since then and it is empty so perhaps they are out on their own now. I did get this cute video of two mallards drying their tail feathers. 

We get our car back tomorrow and we received the replacement part for our truck/camper so hopefully next week both vehicles will be on the road safely again.  I spent yesterday sorting out the inside of the camper and it really made me feel like I would like to get out in it again soon.  

This morning I woke up to quite the racket under our bedroom window.  There were three VERY large raccoons banging on the window where my cat was sitting on the inside ledge.  I shooed them away with my stern teacher voice and one headed into the front yard, but the other two headed into the back yard and climbed two of our cedar trees.  Too much excitement before I had even had my coffee!

I think that is it for my week.  I did order a new pair of bluetooth earbuds because I thought mine were broken.  It turned out mine weren't broken (oops) but the new ones fit better for when I am out walking so all in all it worked out.  

One more week of Lent and then I will be back checking out my friends and relatives on facebook and instagram.  Oh, and next sunday there will be chocolate!

I wish this little one was here to search Easter eggs next week.  

Have a good week all - see you on Easter Sunday!

Yopping Update #36 - Wee little clothes

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Ready or not here I am!  My gansey is off the blocking mat and on me!

thanks to the weather I have been wearing this all week. 

I have been knitting little clothes for Maisie the Pig - she now has a cardigan and a pair of French Knickers and one shoe.

One shoe?  Yes one shoe because I ran out of yarn half way through the second shoe - so, oh dear, I had to place another yarn order.  Of course I didn't just order the one ball of yarn - so I am waiting for six more balls to arrive at my door this coming week and then I can finish the 2nd shoe and perhaps add the missing rows to her dress as well. 

Meanwhile I started another animal.  Can you tell what it will be from the pieces? 

Stay tuned. 

That's it on the knitting front.  My son is coming for a visit in two weeks so I will get him to pick out the motifs for his gansey and then order the yarn to get started on that. 

I have been doing some more combing and spinning - slow going - I am just not into spinning too much these days. 

I started transcribing my parents' war letters.  It is quite an experience to read words they wrote when they first met and married.  It is also something to read about some of the experiences my father had overseas.  It is slow going - now I know where I inherited my horrible handwriting - from both of them!

Other than that I have noticed my mood is improving - and until the last three days I can't say it is because of the weather - it was very wet and cold up until Friday.  I took advantage the last two days of walking out in the sunshine, and yesterday bought a coffee and sat in the plaze and people watched for about thirty minutes.  Today it is lovely and sunny and all those sticks and cedar fall in the front and back yard are not going to rake themselves. After I post this I will head out to load up my green waste bins. 

The visit last Sunday with my two nephews was wonderful.  We didn't stop talking from the time they arrived until they left four hours later.  It was grand!

Speaking of grand - my daughter and her family went on a hike this past week and I received some lovely photos I will share with your before signing off. 

Happy crafting all!

gd's friend taking the lead

and at the top they found SNOW!

Yopping Update #31 - Fighting dragons - literally and figuratively

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Well it has been a week.  

I started Tahesha the Dragon on my gansey, and although it is slow going, and there has been some tinking back, and some math complications, I am happy to have got to row 25.  Only 73 more to go!

my first ever icord cables with provisional cast-on

My gansey is taking all my knitting time these days. 

I have done a wee bit of spinning, but nothing much to show for it, however my beekeeping combs are working well for combing out the locks before spinning.  

Speaking of these days, I had quite a sharp dip in my mental health earlier in the week, but by Friday I was slowly pulling up and out.  Depression and anxiety are the two dragons I battle almost daily.  Today I feel like I might be winning.  Yesterday was a good day from start to finish which is stupendous for me. 

I did a fair bit of retail therapy again this week.  I did order a knitting belt and some long dpns.  I am looking forward to trying them.  Knitting my gansey on two circs (2.25mm) does cramp up my hands a bit and knitting belts are suppose to help alleviate such things.  We shall see.  It is always fun to try new things (I keep telling myself). 

I ordered a new scale for weighing my projects.  The one I have is very old and sometimes turns on, and sometimes doesn't, and sometimes turns on and then promptly turns off.  I am relegating it to the kitchen as hubby often wants to borrow my scale when he is cooking so he can deal with the on/off issues and I won't be worrying the scale I am using is covered with flour, or something sticky. 

I also order four skeins of hemp to make some more doubleknitted kitchen pot-holders.  I am going to make another KnitPicks order as soon as white Brava Sport is back in stock.  I decided my tree skirt will be red and white so I need more of each colour, and also I will throw in more sock yarn just because (and to get the free shipping).

On Friday an antique popped up on facebook marketplace and, well, to make a long story short - look what I brought home yesterday. 

inside

outside

open

top - opened

It is a sewing machine case for a treadle Singer sewing machine.  It is over 100 years old and, well, it was love at first sight.  I have my Mum's Singer and I think it will fit in there, but for now I am using it to store spinning supplies.

I reorganized my knitting magazines the other day, and culled a few to give away.  I also donated some sock needles and sock pattern books to a one room school north of here.  My friend teaches there and her students want to learn to knit socks. 

So despite all my buying, I am also trying to keep decluttering too and anyways now I have new furniture in my craft room I have to make sure things all have a place!

I did get out on Tuesday for a very long bird walk.  I manage 9 km, which meant that the next day with a short 2.5 km walk I finally finished this:

Ta-Da!

Now any kilometers I log go towards my next challenge of walking the distance of the Kruger Safari Park in Africa.  These Conqueror Challenges keep me motivated and the medals you receive are pretty awesome.  I will post a picture when the Ring Road medal arrives. 

It is rainy here today - the first in a while, and we are expecting snow later tonight or tomorrow.  We have all our groceries in as of yesterday, and there is firewood in the carport so I suspect today I will be nestled on the couch, watching 'The Good Place', and wrestling with a dragon or too. 

I hope, dear readers, you will tame whatever dragons you are wrestling with these days. 

These days are not easy, but they are the days we have and I am working hard at being grateful for all I do have.

Like this:

spring daffodils

And these:

six wooden bird buttons that came with my knitting magazine

And of course, this: